The Instead Reusable Soft Cup!

The Instead Reusable Soft Cup!

A blog post for the ladies!

Feminine Wear sent me these Instead Reusable Soft Cups to trial, and they have been very patient waiting for me to publish the results. The main reason for the delay is that I spent at least 3 months trying them out and then another couple of months wondering how to write about them. And because I’m rubbish of course. So sorry Feminine Wear, I do hope you can forgive me!

I’m a great fan of re-usable sanitary products, they’re much under publicised products and they’re so very practical, economical and in many ways, very pretty. If you’re saying ‘Ew!’ right now, just have a look at these gorgeous re-usable pads, all you have to do is use them and then throw them in the washing machine – just as you would do with re-usable nappies if you’ve used them. I’ve certainly never used disposable sanitary products after discovering Feminine Wear’s website, and I’ve saved money and the environment as a result. No more overflowing horrid bins at that ‘time of the month.’

Anyway, what I’m reviewing today is the Instead Reusable Soft Cup. Here’s their promotional video which gives you a great idea as to what they look like and how they work.

If you’re anything like me you saw that Soft Cup and your first thoughts were ‘That’s massive!’ They really are quite a size compared to Mooncups, re-usable and disposable tampons, but they are very squishy and comfortable to wear. I couldn’t even feel the Reusable Soft Cup when I wore it, it wasn’t awkward, didn’t threaten to erm…escape and there were no problems in that respect at all. It fits very snugly around your cervix apparently, although maybe I couldn’t manage that properly, but more about that in a minute.

They are re-usable too, which means one Soft Cup will last you for one entire menstrual cycle and it can be worn for up to 12 hours. All you need to do is to carefully remove it, dispose of the contents, wash it with lukewarm water and soap or even just water, and then re-insert. It’s latex free, non-toxic and hypoallergenic too. Very similar to a Mooncup if you’ve ever used one of those.

This is a great little video that shows you how to use the Instead Reusable Soft Cups. Worth a watch if you’re curious!

So, what were my thoughts?

The Pluses:

Easy to insert, comfortable, re-usable (although only for one menstrual cycle), environmentally friendly, economic, looks attractive (pink!) and fits nicely in a bag if you’re out and about.

The Minuses:

Sadly I don’t think I ever got the knack of using them properly. I could insert them fine, but I don’t know if my cervix is an odd shape or what the problem was, but they simply did not catch any of my flow and I had to wear re-usable pads whilst wearing the Soft Cup which defeated the whole object of using them really.

This really puzzles me, other women must have trialled these Soft Cups and they must have worked for them, or they wouldn’t be on the market would they? I’ve watched the videos, read the paperwork that came with the cups, tried endless times to get them to work – but to no avail.

All I can suggest is that if you’re considering trying these, then they don’t cost a huge amount and maybe it’s worth a go. They might work for you, even if not for me. For two of them (which should last you 2 full periods) the price is £4.50 and you can find them HERE!

If it’s any reassurance I’ve used a number of products from Feminine Wear and all of them have worked perfectly, the service has been second to none, the transactions have been smooth, the owner of the site is always polite and friendly and I can’t recommend them highly enough. I’m presuming these Reusable Soft Cups are a blip, or I’m using them incorrectly, I can’t really tell.

Feminine Wear sent me these re-usable cups to review, no other financial reward has been given. Personally I say stick to Mooncups and beautifully sewn, practical re-usable pads. But that’s just me.

scuse my ignorance and my crudeness here, if you are sensitive do not read on, Im thinking and typing at the same time. When you pull them out do the contents not spill everywhere? how would they work for people like me that flood heavily with huge clots etc, im sure so of my babies have been smaller than some of my clots.
How do they work when you start to reach the menopause and dont bleed much at all do they “stick a bit” if you dry inside?
lovely balanced thought provoking review.
last thought why is it the world is happy to fill landfills with trillions of throw away nappies a week, yet encouraging woman to go back to the old fashioned re-usable sanitary wear so as not to fill landfill with them?

Hi Elaine 😀
May I suggest you to also address your questions and concerns to Melissa, why not in this following ‘corner’ of her friendhood forum 😉 =http://menstrualcups.friendhood.net/f37-pre-menopause-and-cups
You could post a new topic on the Live Journal community too^ (you know it? this is menstrualcups.org)
Or, also ask to Anna-Maria from environmenstruals.co.nz who also knows a lot about cups, for example the issues to find a fittingly cup when dealing with a low cervix…. Hope you’ll find your happiness, hee ;o)) Cheers !

Kay, that was a cool review! Kinda too bad it didn’t work out.. Have you tried the ‘usual’ disposable Instead cups in the past, and did these ones (then, strangely ah) worked for you ?
All the best^

Hello again, Kaye :))
Oh you must have seen it, but if not.. in case that’d be of any ‘support’ ha, I commented about other few elements below the post for your blog, on Feminine Wear’s facebook timeline 😉 – Have a marvellous weekend!

Personally I can’t get on with Mooncups at all, but find this entirely better. So if Mooncups work for some of us, and Softcups work for others, it’s all good. It’s good to have the choice as obviously the different shapes work for different women.

It was strange, I just couldn’t seem to get it to work for me, but I think I must have been doing something wrong. I just think anything is preferable to the mass of waste that comes with one use/disposable sanitary products. I’m really glad to hear they work for you Jenny :O)